So Below – “Hard”

So Below–the goth-pop project of New Zealand’s Madeline North– recently released “Hard,” a luring, somewhat sinister track that finds dusty light in an uptempo production provided by fellow musicians and Aucklanders, Aaron Short (The Naked And Famous) and Sam McCarthy (Kids Of 88). North’s echoing, breathy vocals mark a sense of urgency, and her phrasing expresses an unspecified psychic pain, as synths reverberate powerfully beneath her words. So Below’s lyrics on “Hard” tell an ominous story of companionship gone awry, of difficulty, and of the weight of persistent anxiety. So Below will be one to watch in 2017. Listen to “Hard” below.